This is American kitsch at its very best, and it's worth the experience for the sake of simply having done it. And so this morning, we joined the folks at the ticket booth, bought our "package" for the tour of the mansion (there were other packages available for almost $100), strapped the iPad around our necks (for the interactive tour), posed for our mandatory photo together against the backdrop of the gates to Graceland, were searched for video cameras which are not allowed (and though Michael's camera also takes stills, he had to leave it in the locker), boarded the shuttle bus, and were transported directly across the street and on to the grounds.
If not impersonal with no one to ask questions, the iPad tour was at least efficient and well narrated.
I found the mansion rather charming and small enough to feel comfortable and cozy. I could picture a family living here. The 70's decor could easily pass for today's "retro" look.
We could only view the first floor as the upstairs remains closed to the public. Here are some photos that I snapped (no flash allowed), some better than others:
 |
| living room with piano that Elvis played |
 |
| living room |
 |
| Elvis and photo of his parents below |
 |
| the downstairs bedroom his parents used and after his mother died, his grandmother stayed here |
 |
| The TV in the dining room is set up so that Elvis could watch it from his seat at the table |
 |
| The dining room which apparently the family still uses when they come to town |
 |
| A real 70's style kitchen |
 |
| Here Elvis relaxed, listened to his vast music collection, had three TV's (like the president) and watched movies (there is a pull-down screen above the TV's) |
 |
| The framed cross-stitch picture on the wall cleverly hides the projector for the screen |
 |
| The billiard room, which is completely covered with cotton fabric, all 300+ yards of it |
 |
| The over-the-top den, complete with wood paneling, green shag carpet and shag ceiling, animal skin sofa and bar |
The rest of the tour took us outside, where there are horses, and a racquetball court which today houses his costumes and awards.
 |
| This lounge, in the racquetball building, is where Elvis entertained friends and played this piano one last time. Later that day he was found dead. |
 |
| The racquetball court is now a showpiece for his elaborate stage costumes and awards |
I wondered what it must be like to have the means to write out as many checks as you wish for such generous amounts....
Elvis' is a rags to riches story, an American dream come true. From humble beginnings in Tupelo, Mississippi, he was lucky, got a break in his music career and became a world-wide cultural icon and phenomenon. His unique rock and roll style of music broke through cultural and race barriers in a still segregated US, and remained an influence on the music scene of the 20th Century.
Yet he was certainly not an instant hit or shining protege. It took luck, opportunity, and timing, and when all three of those stars aligned, they propelled him to stardom.
I learned today that Elvis did poorly in his music classes at school, was rejected as a lead singer for a band, and when he appeared at the Ryman in Nashville, was told by the manager to go home and stick with his day job, which was a delivery truck driver.
In August 1953, Elvis stopped in at Sun Studio to cut a record (supposedly a belated present for his mother's birthday), hoping to be invited back. The owner of Sun Studio, Sam Phillips, wasn't there the day that Elvis came in. It was a whole year later before Elvis got the call to return to the studio.
Meanwhile, Sam was fulfilling his own dream of cutting that one hit that would be his break into the recording business. He loved The Blues and recorded as many Blues songs as he could. The Blues had come to Memphis, the musical genre particular to the blacks, evolving from their sharecropping songs which they sang while working in the cotton fields in the south. The Blues became popularized by W.C.Handy, considered the father of The Blues, and was played on Beale Street in the black nightclubs.
And because it was intriguing and different from any music that the white folks played, it began gaining popularity. The local radio station was playing The Blues, and exposing white audiences, teenagers in particular, to this form of music. Many, like Sam and Elvis, also hung around Beale Street, hearing it played first hand.
Sam was looking for someone to create the spark and sound he was looking for. A year later, when he called Elvis to come to the studio, the recording session fell flat. Elvis was nervous, and things were just not coming together artistically. Sam was not impressed. At the end, when they were all taking a break, Elvis began to fool around, singing in a style that would come to be known as rock 'n' roll, as the guitarist and bass accompanist took the cue from him. The song was "That's All Right" and it was the sound that Sam was looking for, a unique blend of the Blues with up-tempo "exuberance", and he cut the record. It was an instant hit when a famous DJ, Dewey Phillips, played it on his radio show. The teens went wild, and he played the record dozens of times that night.
Elvis was the perfect white man to sing the songs that ultimately became known as rock 'n' roll. He sparked the cultural revolution, adopted by teens all over the world, that continued with all the other pop stars from our generation, producing subsequent greats like the Beatles, The Rolling Stones and on and on.
It really is an amazing story. The ending is of course sad with Elivs' unfortunate death at so young an age in 1977. But to think that this poor boy, who experienced hardships and poverty, was raised without any advantages, financial backing or influence, then propelled to such fame and wealth at so early an age, still remaining influential today, is rather astounding. It's a true American story. His legacy lives on, as do his fans, across all countries and generations.
The last stop on the tour led us to the grotto where the family is buried. Elvis' mother died first, then Elvis, then his father, and lastly his grandmother. I didn't know that Elvis also had a twin brother who was stillborn.
We had time to take one more tour, again only barely scratching the surface of everything there is to see in Memphis. Besides the music scene, there is of course the civil rights movement that happened here too. But that will need to wait until we return.
After the tour we strolled along Beale Street, alive with music and tourists. We saw W.C.Handy's statue and then made our way down towards the Mississippi because I wanted to see the mighty river.
 |
| W.C.Handy. the father of The Blues, in the W.C.Handy Park with musicians jamming on stage |
We forgot that with the time change, it was getting dark around 4:30 so we didn't make it down to the Mighty Mississippi. We were waylaid by a statue of Elvis and a very friendly black gentleman who just wanted to chat with us. He took a photo of us, and as we were about to move on, he then began his sad story and asked us for money to pay for his hotel.... even though there was a large notice asking tourists not to give money to panhandlers. This guy was not shy. When Michael told him he doesn't carry cash and only uses cards (which is true), the gentleman answered: With due respects, you could step up to the bank machine across the street and help an old guy out....We caught the shuttle back to our RV park, located right behind Heart Break Hotel. It was a very convenient spot, right across the street from Graceland Mansion and The King's story.
One more kitsch moment and memory - a pink Cadillac arrived to pick up our neighbors to take them to dinner. Elvis' influence obviously reaches way beyond top hits. |
| The gates of Graceland Mansion |